Columbus troubling lack of sidewalks, poor walkability

[TomJones123]

Originally Posted by cheech14

You literally used the argument that "it's different!" and then projected that on me. Weird.

Ahh, man I'm having fun, not one serious word out of me on here on matters like these. I come here to learn, and lightweight debate at times, but I've always loved the interaction here on CD. I was really just looking for a reason to play that clip from Friday. My son is 17, and he uses that line for fun all the time...

[bjimmy24]

Originally Posted by cheech14

I believe you also said it's for personal/work reasons and not because you actively wanted to live there. And that you also plan to leave when/if you can.

I mean, do you want to live somewhere where you can't walk anywhere? Or would it change your mind about a place if it went from unwalkable to walkable?

[cheech14]

Originally Posted by bjimmy24

I mean, do you want to live somewhere where you can't walk anywhere? Or would it change your mind about a place if it went from unwalkable to walkable?

I think your complaints go beyond sidewalks, but at least you have confirmed what I said, which I appreciate.

Just a question, though. Have you ever attended any city council meetings? Any neighborhood commission meetings, etc? Have you ever contacted anyone at all towards addressing your specific neighborhoods lack of sidewalks? Have you talked to neighbors about organizing and putting pressure on the city to address those concerns? I'm guessing not. Which is why I think, with one foot already out the door, it's more about just complaining than really wanting or working for a better city. Getting involved is hard. Complaining on the internet isn't.

[Natural510]

I can’t read the article, so where exactly is it where there are no sidewalks? The residential outer-reaches of the city which would have little-to-no foot traffic even if sidewalks were built?

I grew up in Clintonville and Old North Columbus, and don’t remember a lack of sidewalks as a kid when I had to walk everywhere. Any time I visit anywhere in the city (worth visiting) I haven’t seen a lack of walkways, so how exactly is the city being held back by a lack of sidewalks?

[cheech14]

Originally Posted by Natural510

I can’t read the article, so where exactly is it where there are no sidewalks? The residential outer-reaches of the city which would have little-to-no foot traffic even if sidewalks were built?

I grew up in Clintonville and Old North Columbus, and don’t remember a lack of sidewalks as a kid when I had to walk everywhere. Any time I visit anywhere in the city (worth visiting) I haven’t seen a lack of walkways, so how exactly is the city being held back by a lack of sidewalks?

It seems to mostly be in newer areas (mid-20th Century and later), as the core of the city almost entirely has them.

I didn't think of this before, but I wonder if it was even Columbus itself that was the problem in terms of leadership on this issue. Since most of the areas that lack sidewalks seem to have been built during a certain era, I wonder if at least some of those areas that lack sidewalks were annexed into the city after they had already been built, meaning that the local township rules didn't require the construction of sidewalks. Township zoning would've likely been much more rural/suburban in nature.

Edit: I found this blurb on the Columbus city website:
An estimated 50% to 60% of the City does not contain curbs and/or sidewalks. Some of these areas are older, built when sidewalks were not standard practice as it is today. Many sidewalk gaps exist within sections of the City that were originally townships, later annexed into the City of Columbus. The original property owners or developers opted not to include sidewalks.

So a couple things- the 60% figure seems to be the max estimate the Dispatch chose to use, but it's likely lower. Maybe not much lower, but still. I also have to wonder exactly when those estimates were made, given that is not mentioned on the city website and the Dispatch clearly used that figure. Also, it basically confirms my theory that at least some of these areas were annexed into Columbus and were already built up with lower township standards that didn't require the construction of sidewalks when they were built. So Columbus didn't actually allow this to happen, specifically, they just got stuck with the problem after annexation. That definitely changes the narrative quite a bit from "Negligent Cowtown Columbus intentionally built 60% of the city without sidewalks".

[bjimmy24]

Originally Posted by cheech14

I think your complaints go beyond sidewalks, but at least you have confirmed what I said, which I appreciate.

Just a question, though. Have you ever attended any city council meetings? Any neighborhood commission meetings, etc? Have you ever contacted anyone at all towards addressing your specific neighborhoods lack of sidewalks? Have you talked to neighbors about organizing and putting pressure on the city to address those concerns? I'm guessing not. Which is why I think, with one foot already out the door, it's more about just complaining than really wanting or working for a better city. Getting involved is hard. Complaining on the internet isn't.

You can never critique anything unless you are willing to give up your entire life to dedicate your entire being to it. Why didn't I think of that?

btw my street does have sidewalks, but the next block only has partial coverage. The block after that does not at all. Like I said, if you've ever been to Columbus, you know this.

Here is another awful Dispatch solitication for more COMPLAINTS from ungrateful people who don't even bother to go to City Council Meetings, just complain online: https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/...w/73332027007/

It's disgusting that the Dispatch hates Columbus so much as to ask people to even mention that they don't have basic urban amenities. I will write a letter to the editor compelling everyone to stop what they're doing and form neighborhood groups to get something that every other city already had a century before you were born.

btw weren't you saying earlier that it was a funding issue? I know you didn't read the article at first but still. If they don't want to spend the money they don't want to spend the money. Anyway, it's just ridiculous that sidewalks is even a topic of discussion in this city, which has grown so much and apparently has so much money everywhere.

[bjimmy24]

Pretty funny to say "oh well only the midcentury parts of Columbus don't have sidewalks" - you mean.... basically all of Columbus then???

[bjimmy24]

This is near my house, Maize-Morse Cooke Road just off 71. These are not midcentury homes.

https://www.google.com/maps/@40.0478...8192?entry=ttu

THis is the street I used to live on in Northland: https://www.google.com/maps/@40.0513...8192?entry=ttu

A couple blocks away from me in North Linden: https://www.google.com/maps/@40.0451...8192?entry=ttu

You find a lot of stop and start sidewalks randomly throughout even the older parts of the city, like here near the King Arts Center: https://www.google.com/maps/@39.9703...8192?entry=ttu

Here's 161 in all its glory, a major thoroughfare: https://www.google.com/maps/@40.0859...8192?entry=ttu

Many side streets in places like Southern Orchards also have stop and start sidewalks:

https://www.google.com/maps/@39.9462...8192?entry=ttu

Hilltop: https://www.google.com/maps/@39.9509...8192?entry=ttu

Franklinton: https://www.google.com/maps/@39.9506...8192?entry=ttu

Clintonville: https://www.google.com/maps/@40.0594...8192?entry=ttu

Other side of Clintonville: https://www.google.com/maps/@40.0579...8192?entry=ttu

Icould go on and on and on. This isn't isolated, my point is that it isn't hard to find this throughout the entire city and especially the metro area.

[cheech14]

Originally Posted by bjimmy24

You can never critique anything unless you are willing to give up your entire life to dedicate your entire being to it. Why didn't I think of that?

btw my street does have sidewalks, but the next block only has partial coverage. The block after that does not at all. Like I said, if you've ever been to Columbus, you know this.

Here is another awful Dispatch solitication for more COMPLAINTS from ungrateful people who don't even bother to go to City Council Meetings, just complain online: https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/...w/73332027007/

It's disgusting that the Dispatch hates Columbus so much as to ask people to even mention that they don't have basic urban amenities. I will write a letter to the editor compelling everyone to stop what they're doing and form neighborhood groups to get something that every other city already had a century before you were born.

btw weren't you saying earlier that it was a funding issue? I know you didn't read the article at first but still. If they don't want to spend the money they don't want to spend the money. Anyway, it's just ridiculous that sidewalks is even a topic of discussion in this city, which has grown so much and apparently has so much money everywhere.

You create a whole thread on the topic of Columbus not having enough sidewalks, and then act like the question of attending a city council meeting and advocating for fixing the very thing you're complaining about is akin to dedicating your "entire being" to the issue. I'm sorry for suggesting you interrupt your busy life posting on City Data to do more than complain. Such an important issue for you, you've done nothing and you're already out of ideas. Better leave it up to other people, I guess.

Again, I have already said that some areas not having sidewalks is an issue, and wanting that addressed is not a terrible thing. It's also not wrong that the Dispatch wrote an article about it, and I think it might even be helpful long-term to get the city to perhaps speed up its existing efforts on the matter.

I didn't read it at first because it's behind a paywall and I had to wait until it came out on the library site. It wasn't a conspiracy about me trying to avoid it.

And I guess you ignored my last post that talked about how the situation even happened. It wasn't Columbus just being so backwards it didn't want to build sidewalks, which you definitely tried to argue was the case. You think I'm biased, that anyone defending Columbus in any way whatsoever is biased, that you refuse to acknowledge your own when you try to turn complex issues over decades into a nefarious or negligent plot against pedestrians. Do better and be part of the change you seek.

[cheech14]

Originally Posted by bjimmy24

This is near my house, Maize-Morse Cooke Road just off 71. These are not midcentury homes.

https://www.google.com/maps/@40.0478...8192?entry=ttu

THis is the street I used to live on in Northland: https://www.google.com/maps/@40.0513...8192?entry=ttu

A couple blocks away from me in North Linden: https://www.google.com/maps/@40.0451...8192?entry=ttu

You find a lot of stop and start sidewalks randomly throughout even the older parts of the city, like here near the King Arts Center: https://www.google.com/maps/@39.9703...8192?entry=ttu

Here's 161 in all its glory, a major thoroughfare: https://www.google.com/maps/@40.0859...8192?entry=ttu

Many side streets in places like Southern Orchards also have stop and start sidewalks:

https://www.google.com/maps/@39.9462...8192?entry=ttu

Hilltop: https://www.google.com/maps/@39.9509...8192?entry=ttu

Franklinton: https://www.google.com/maps/@39.9506...8192?entry=ttu

Clintonville: https://www.google.com/maps/@40.0594...8192?entry=ttu

Other side of Clintonville: https://www.google.com/maps/@40.0579...8192?entry=ttu

Icould go on and on and on. This isn't isolated, my point is that it isn't hard to find this throughout the entire city and especially the metro area.

It should be noted that almost none of those areas were originally built with sidewalks, and most have them now. I can also post google images of streets that did not have sidewalks and now have them. If you go look at 1950s historic aerials for Linden, for example, very little of the entire neighborhood was built with sidewalks, yet the majority of it does now. The idea is not about how it started, but where it's going. I know you're a glass half empty kind of guy, though.